Jackson County, Georgia
Northeast Georgia Community Guide

Jackson County, Georgia

Created in 1796 and named for Revolutionary War officer and Georgia governor James Jackson, Jackson County blends historic downtowns with easy access to the I-85 corridor.

Living in Jackson County

The historic districts of Braselton, Commerce, Jefferson, Maysville, and Talmo are all on the National Register of Historic Places. In Jefferson, the 1879 Jackson County Courthouse, with its 1906 clock tower, is one of the first county courthouses built in Georgia after the Civil War.

Outdoors, Hurricane Shoals Park near Maysville preserves exposed granite shoals along the North Oconee River, and Braselton's Mulberry RiverWalk follows the river to the spot where four counties meet.

Local Highlights

  • Hurricane Shoals Park
  • Crawford W. Long Museum in Jefferson
  • Braselton's Mulberry RiverWalk
  • Five historic districts on the National Register

Learn more: Jackson County · Jackson County Area Chamber

Towns in Jackson County

Get to know each community, then browse homes for sale.

Historic brick storefronts along Washington Street in Jefferson, Georgia
Jackson County

Jefferson

Jackson County's seat, incorporated in 1806 and named for Thomas Jefferson, has a downtown historic district centered on its 1879 courthouse.

Dr. Crawford W. Long first used ether for surgical anesthesia here on March 30, 1842.

  • Crawford W. Long Museum
  • The 1879 Jackson County Courthouse
  • Jefferson Historic District
The two-story brick Governor L. G. Hardman House in Commerce, Georgia
Jackson County

Commerce

First known as Harmony Grove, Commerce took its current name in 1904 as a thriving cotton market town. Its downtown commercial district is on the National Register.

Olive Ann Burns based her novel Cold Sassy Tree loosely on growing up in Commerce.

  • Commerce Commercial Historic District
  • Governor L. G. Hardman House (National Register)
  • Near the site of Groaning Rock, Jackson County's first settlement
The white-columned W. H. Braselton House, now Braselton's town hall
Jackson County

Braselton

Spread across Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall, and Jackson counties, Braselton grew from the Braselton family's 1876 land purchase and a general store whose motto was 'Dealers in Everything.'

The Mulberry RiverWalk leads to the spot where four counties meet.

  • Mulberry RiverWalk, 4.4 miles round trip
  • Braselton Historic District
  • Thompson Mills Forest, Georgia's official state arboretum
The restored Hoschton Depot with its green metal roof in Hoschton, Georgia
Jackson County

Hoschton

Incorporated in 1891 and named for local merchant Russell A. Hosch, Hoschton sits along State Route 53 in western Jackson County, just south of Braselton.

The restored Hoschton Depot has been on the National Register since 2000.

  • Historic Hoschton Depot
  • Hillcrest-Allen Clinic and Hospital (National Register)
  • Next door to Braselton
Jackson County

Nicholson

Between Athens and Commerce on U.S. 441, Nicholson has long been a farming community. According to the city, it was first called Cooper and was renamed for a railroad president.

A small town with deep agricultural roots, where poultry has long been part of the local economy.

  • Incorporated in 1907
  • On U.S. 441 between Athens and Commerce
  • A crossroads between Athens and Commerce
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Photos from Wikimedia Commons, cropped and, on postcards, color-toned; adaptations of CC BY-SA photos are shared under the same license. Jackson County Courthouse by Hhoschton, CC BY-SA 3.0; Washington St., Jefferson, GA by Hhoschton, CC BY-SA 3.0; Governor L. G. Hardman House by Quentin Melson, CC BY-SA 4.0; W.H. Brasleton House - Braselton Town Hall Oct 2012 1 by Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0; Hoschton Depot by Hhoschton, CC BY-SA 3.0.

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